open-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches brown mingled with
much red, overspread with thin gray scarf-skin, marked by numerous
lenticels; branchlets slender, long, with long internodes, light
reddish-brown, streaked with ash-gray scarf-skin, glossy, smooth,
glabrous except on the newer growth, with numerous small, roundish,
raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, very short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 3 in. long,
1-3/4 in. wide, thin; margin tipped with few pinkish glands, finely
serrate; petiole 1-3/4 in. long, green; stipules of medium size.
Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, free, singly on short
spurs; flowers showy, 1-3/4 in. long, large, in dense clusters, 6 or 8
buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/8 in. long, thick, pubescent.
Fruit matures in late August and early September; medium in size,
3 in. long, 2-3/4 in. wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, irregular;
stem 1-1/4 in. long, thick, curved; cavity acuminate, deep, narrow,
russeted, furrowed and compressed, often with a pronounced lip; calyx
open, large; lobes separated at the base, broad, acute, reflexed;
basin deep, abrupt, furrowed, often compressed; skin thin, tender,
smooth; color dull greenish-yellow, often with a deep but dull
reddish-brown blush and occasional patches of russet; dots numerous,
small, green or russet, obscure; flesh fine under the skin but
granular and gritty near the center; tender, buttery, very juicy,
faintly vinous, slightly aromatic; quality good. Core large, closed,
with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, wide, funnel-shaped; seeds
large, wide, plump, obtuse or acute.
[Illustration: MARIE LOUISE]
MARIE LOUISE
=1.= _Pom. Mag._ =3=:122, Pl. 1830. =2.= Prince _Pom. Mag._ =1=:131.
1831. =3.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 179. 1832. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 399. 1845. =5.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:37, Pl. 1851. =6.= Dochnahl
_Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:59. 1856. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 70. 1862.
=8.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:399, fig. 1869. =9.= _Guide Prat._ 59,
287. 1876. =10.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 38, Pl. 38. 1882. =11.=
Hogg. _Fruit Man._ 613. 1884. =12.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 251. 1889.
_Marie-Louise Delcourt._ =13.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 19, Pl. 19.
1863. =14.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 163, fig. 80. 1866-73.
The fruits of Marie Louise are among the perfections of Nature,
and were the tree more certain in bearing and less fastidious as
to environment and care, the variety would rank as one of the best
of all pears. Pomologists generally agree that its fruits are the
finest flavored of their season. The flesh is tender and melting,
very juicy, and the flavor is a most delectable commingling of
refreshing piquancy and scented sweetness. In shape, the pears resemble
those of Beurré Bosc, having the same trim contour, but the color
is very different--rich yellow, netted and sprinkled with russet,
and sun-flecked with red on the sunny side. The fruit is somewhat
susceptible to the scab fungus, and even the most careful spraying
fails to give it a fair cheek in some seasons. The trees are hardy
but only moderately vigorous, somewhat susceptible to blight, rather
uncertain in bearing, and vary much from season to season in abundance
and quality of product. Not at all suited for a commercial plantation,
Marie Louise is one of the choicest sorts for a home collection or in
the hands of a pear fancier.
The Abbé Duquesne, Mons, Belgium, raised this pear from seed in 1809
and dedicated it to Marie Louise, the second consort of Napoleon the
First. The Abbé passed the pear on to Van Mons, who in 1816 sent it
without a name to a Mr. Braddick of Thames Ditton, England, where
in time it became one of the best-known pears. Thomas Andrew Knight
sent cions of the variety from England to John Lowell, Roxbury,
Massachusetts, in 1823, whence it became widely disseminated in
America. The American Pomological Society placed Marie Louise in its
list of fruits in 1862.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, hardy,
productive; trunk slender; branches dark reddish-brown mingled with
thin gray scarf-skin, marked with many large lenticels; branchlets
very slender and very short, with short internodes, light brown,
tinged with brownish-red, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with very small,
slightly raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free. Leaves 2-1/2
in. long, 1-1/4 in. wide, narrow, short, oval or somewhat elongated,
leathery; apex obtusely or slightly taper-pointed; margin glandless,
entire; petiole 2 in. long, greenish, glabrous, slender. Flower-buds
small, conical, free, arranged singly as lateral buds or on short
spurs; flowers very showy, 1-3/4 in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to
9 buds in a cluster; pedicels often 1-1/8 in. long, slender, slightly
pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in late September and early October; above medium in size,
3-1/8 in. long, 2-5/16 in. wide, variable in size, oblong-pyriform,
irregular, usually with sides unequal; stem 1-1/8 in. long, thick,
curved; cavity very small and one-sided, russeted, often lipped;
calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acuminate;
basin obtuse, considerably furrowed; skin thin, tender, smooth, dull;
color yellow, netted and sprinkled with russet especially on the
exposed cheek; dots numerous, small, russet, somewhat obscure; flesh
yellowish-white, granular, tender, buttery, very juicy, aromatic, with
a rich, vinous flavor; quality very good. Core closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, narrow, conical; seeds wide, acute.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON]
MOUNT VERNON
=1.= _Am. Jour. Hort._ =3=:144, figs. 1868. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 818. 1869. =3.= _Horticulturist_ =24=:367, fig. 1869. =4.=
_Ibid._ =26=:361. 1871. =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 20. 1871. =6.=
_Horticulturist_ =27=:204. 1872. =7.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._
=2=:256. 1903.
As a distinct type, and because the pears ripen at a season when there
are few other varieties of this fruit, Mount Vernon has a prominent
place in the list of worthy American pears. The top-shaped form and
reddish-russet color give the pear a unique appearance, and with
the greenish-yellow, granular, spicy, piquant flesh constitute very
distinct characters in its quality. Unfortunately, the russet color
is not well brought out in the accompanying color-plate. Lack of
uniformity in shape and size are the chief defects in the appearance
of the pears. The variety is valuable because it ripens its crop in
early winter from which time, under good conditions, it may be kept
until mid-winter, a season in which there are few good pears. The trees
are unusually satisfactory in most of the characters of importance in
a good pear-tree. The tree is vigorous but the head is small, with
numerous, short, stocky branches, many of which droop. The aspect given
the top by these peculiarities is quite distinct. The variety is worthy
when a winter pear is wanted whether for home or market.
This pear, which is very distinct from any other variety, originated
from a chance seedling in the garden of Samuel Walker, Roxbury,
Massachusetts, at the end of the first half of the nineteenth century.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, with many drooping branches,
dense-topped, hardy, productive, long-lived; trunk stocky; branches
thick, shaggy, reddish-brown, overcast with gray scarf-skin, marked
by few large lenticels; branchlets thick, with short internodes,
grayish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with a few large, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds variable in shape, usually free. Leaves 2-1/2 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, oval, medium to thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed;
margin crenate, tipped with rudimentary glands; petiole 1-1/4 in.
long. Flower-buds large, long, conical or pointed, free; flowers 1-3/8
in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels 3/4
in. long, slender, lightly pubescent, pale green, with a faint tinge
of red.
Fruit ripe in late October and November; medium in size, 2-1/2 in.
long, 2-1/8 in. wide, uniform in size, roundish-obtuse-pyriform,
irregular, with unequal sides, variable in shape; stem 1 in. long,
thick, usually curved; cavity obtuse, very shallow and narrow,
russeted, furrowed, often very heavily lipped, so that the stem
appears to be inserted under a fleshy enlargement; calyx open; lobes
short, narrow, acute to acuminate; basin narrow, obtuse, smooth,
usually symmetrical; skin granular, roughened by russet, dull;
color light russet overspreading a greenish-yellow ground, with a
brownish-red blush on the exposed cheek, dotted and netted with
russet; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; flesh white, with
a faint tinge of yellow, often with a green tinge under the skin,
granular, tender and melting, juicy, sweet, aromatic, with a vinous
tendency; quality good to very good. Core large, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds variable in size,
wide, long, plump, acute, many abortive.
OLIVIER DE SERRES
=1.= Mas _Le Verger_ =1=:67, fig. 40. 1866-73. =2.= Downing _Fr.
Trees. Am._ 822. 1869. =3.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:477, fig. 1869.
=4.= Tilton _Jour. Hort._ =9=:377, fig. 1871. =5.= Oberdieck
_Obst-Sort._ 316. 1881. =6.= _Jour. Hort._ 3rd Ser. =4=:15, fig. 4.
1882. =7.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 624. 1884. =8.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak.
Obst._ No. 58, Pl. 51. 1894. =9.= _Deut. Obstsorten_ =5=: Pt. 15, Pl.
1909.
This variety is rated in Europe as a delicious late-winter pear, and
the pomological writers of the last century give it all of the virtues
on this side of the Atlantic ascribed to it by Europeans. A closer
study of the variety as grown in America shows that it does not possess
the merits in this country given it by the French and English. The
quality of the pear as grown in New York is below that of several other
sorts of its season. The flesh is coarse and gritty and the flavor is
mediocre. The tree-characters are good, but are not sufficiently good
to offset the faults of the fruits.
Olivier de Serres was raised from seed of Fortunée about the middle
of the nineteenth century by M. Boisbunel, Rouen, France. It fruited
a few years later, but did not receive attention until about 1862.
At that time it was brought to the notice of the French Society of
Horticulture, and was pronounced a fruit of merit. At the suggestion
of M. Boisbunel, it was named after the illustrious Frenchman, Olivier
de Serres, who in France is called "The Father of Agriculture." It was
brought to America about 1865.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, dense-topped, upright-spreading,
productive; trunk and branches marked with numerous lenticels;
branchlets slender, short, curved, with short internodes, light
reddish-brown, tinged with green, sprinkled with scattering,
inconspicuous, very small, raised lenticels. Leaf-buds small, short,
sharply pointed, free; leaf-scars with prominent shoulders. Leaves
2-3/4 in. long, 1-1/4 in. wide; apex taper-pointed; margin glandular,
finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, slender. Flower-buds small,
short, sharply pointed, free, singly on short spurs; flowers with an
unpleasant odor, showy, 1-9/16 in. across; pedicels 1 in. long, thinly
pubescent.
Fruit ripens January to March; medium in size, 2-1/2 in. long, 2-3/4
in. wide, roundish-obtuse-pyriform, truncate at both ends, irregular
in outline; stem variable in length, averaging 3/4 in. long, thick,
enlarged at the top, curved; cavity broad, slightly furrowed; calyx
large, slightly open; basin variable in depth, furrowed; skin tender;
color greenish-yellow, partly overspread with cinnamon-russet and
sometimes with a dull blush on the exposed cheek; flesh whitish,
variable in texture, juicy, varying from sweet to a brisk, vinous
flavor; quality poor unless grown under the most favorable conditions.
[Illustration: ONONDAGA]
ONONDAGA
=1.= _Horticulturist_ =1=:322, fig. 77. 1846-47. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Rpt._ 231. 1858. =3.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 179, fig. 88.
1866-73. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 823. fig. 1869. =5.= Leroy
_Dict. Pom._ =2=:480, fig. 1869. =6.= _Guide Prat._ 74, 292. 1876.
=7.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 625. 1884.
_Swan's Orange._ =8.= _Mag. Hort._ =13=:243, fig. 19. 1847. =9.= Hovey
_Fr. Am._ =1=:21, Pl. 1851.
Some seventy or eighty years ago this pear was widely introduced under
the names _Onondaga_ and _Swan's Orange_, and for a generation and
more was much grown in eastern pear regions. It has now practically
passed from cultivation in commercial orchards, but is still to
be found in collections and home plantings. The fruits are large,
handsome, and of very good quality, resembling those of Bartlett in
flavor and with even better flesh-characters. The trees are vigorous,
hardy, fruitful--almost ideal in every character but one. The tree is
so susceptible to blight that the variety can never have commercial
value in American orchards. Whether or not it is worth planting in home
orchards depends upon the planter's willingness to suffer loss from
blight.
It seems impossible to trace this variety to its ultimate source.
We know, however, that Henry Case, Liverpool, New York, cut a graft
during the winter of 1806 from a tree growing on land of a Mr. Curtiss
at Farmington, Connecticut. In the spring of the same year, Mr. Case
grafted this cion into a tree about three miles west of Onondaga Hill,
New York, and in 1808 moved the tree to Liverpool where it grew and
bore fruit. Many grafts were taken from this tree before it died in
1823. Up to this time, the variety appears to have received no name nor
had it been generally disseminated. We hear nothing further of it until
about 1840 when it was brought to notice by a Mr. Swan of Onondaga
Hollow, who exhibited specimens of the variety in Rochester. Ellwanger
and Barry were so impressed with the fruit that they secured cions and
propagated it under the name _Swan's Orange_ which they changed later
to _Onondaga_. Onondaga was given a place in the American Pomological
Society's fruit-catalog in 1858.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, very
productive; branches zigzag, reddish-brown, overspread with thin gray
scarf-skin, marked with many large lenticels; branchlets slender,
short, light brown, tinged with green and lightly streaked with
ash-gray scarf-skin, dull, smooth, the new growth slightly pubescent,
with small, raised, pinkish lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3-1/16
in. long, 1-1/4 in. wide, narrow, oval, stiff, leathery; apex
taper-pointed; margin coarsely but shallowly serrate, tipped with
many reddish glands; petiole 1-7/8 in. long, light green mingled with
red; stipules often lacking but when present very small, pale green.
Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, arranged singly on
very short spurs; blossoms 1-1/8 in. across, in dense clusters, 7 to 8
buds in a cluster; pedicels pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe in early October; above medium to large, 2-3/4 in. long,
2-1/2 in. wide, ovate or obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical, with
unequal sides; stem 5/8 in. long, thick, curved; cavity a slight
depression, with a fleshy enlargement at one side of the stem; calyx
closed; lobes narrow, acute; basin narrow, obtuse, furrowed, uneven;
skin granular, tender, smooth, dull; color pale yellow, with few lines
of russet and with many russet spots; dots numerous, small, russet,
conspicuous; flesh yellowish, granular both near the skin and at the
center, melting, buttery, very juicy, aromatic, with a sweet, rich,
vinous flavor; quality very good. Core large, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube long, conical; seeds narrow, long, acute.
[Illustration: ONTARIO]
ONTARIO
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 200, fig. 1856. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._
529. 1857. =3.= _Horticulturist_ N. S. =7=:112, fig. 1857. =4.= _Mag.
Hort._ =23=:110, fig. 3. 1857. =5.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 2, 85,
fig. 139. 1866-73. =6.= _Horticulturist_ =23=:331, fig. 102. 1868.
=7.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 824. 1869. =8.= Thomas _Am. Fruit Cult._
463, fig. 672. 1897.
This variety was introduced nearly seventy years ago with the
expectation that the crop would follow that of Bartlett and be in as
great demand. While the variety did not come up to expectations, it
seems to have been too good to discard, and is to be found in many
collections in New York. The fruits are of the type of Bartlett, but
are smaller and usually lack the blush found on the fruits of Bartlett.
The trees are very satisfactory. The variety fails chiefly in the small
size of the fruits, although these are not as small as the rather poor
specimens illustrated in the accompanying plate, which were grown on
the grounds of this Station where the pears run below the average.
This variety was raised from seed of Canandaigua in the nurseries
of W. and T. Smith, Geneva, Ontario County, New York, and was first
introduced at the meeting of the American Pomological Society,
Rochester, New York, in 1856.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, open-topped, hardy, productive; trunk
stocky; branches thick, roughish, dull reddish-brown, overspread with
dark ash-gray scarf-skin, marked by small lenticels; branchlets thick,
very short, with short internodes, light brown mingled with green,
smooth, glabrous, with small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, free. Leaves 2 in. long, 1-1/2 in.
wide, oval, thin, leathery, slightly curled under along the margins;
apex abruptly pointed; margin glandular toward the apex, very finely
serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical or
pointed, plump, free, singly or in small clusters on short branches or
very short spurs; flowers 1-1/8 in. across, in a scattering raceme,
from 8 to 10 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/4 in. long, slender,
pubescent, light green.
Fruit in season from the middle to the last of September; medium in
size, 2-1/2 in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide, uniform in size and shape,
oblong-pyriform, with sides usually unequal; stem 3/4 in. long, thick;
cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, often russeted and lipped; calyx open;
lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin shallow to medium,
obtuse, gently furrowed, sometimes compressed; skin smooth, dull;
color pale yellow, with small patches and streaks of light-colored
russet; dots numerous, very small, russet, obscure; flesh whitish,
with a yellow tinge at the core, granular, firm but tender, juicy,
sweet, slightly aromatic; quality good. Core closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long,
plump, acute.
[Illustration: P. BARRY]
P. BARRY
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 38. 1875. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 2d
App. 152, fig. 1876. =3.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 18. 1882. =4.=
Wickson _Cal. Fruits_ 340. 1889. =5.= Ellwanger & Barry _Cat._ 20.
1892. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 17, 68. 1895. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Cat._ 41. 1909. =8.= Wickson _Cal. Fruits_ 273. 1919.
The fruits of P. Barry are among the latest of all the pears grown on
the grounds of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station. They do
not ripen here until mid-winter and then keep until spring. A serious
defect is that they sometimes refuse to ripen but shrivel until decay
sets in late in the spring. To make certain that the pears ripen
properly, the fruit-room must not be too cold. The pears are excellent
in flavor, have good flesh-characters, and when properly ripened are
excelled in quality by no other winter pear. The variety should have a
place in the collection of every pear fancier to extend the season for
this fruit, and commercial pear growers might find it a profitable sort
for local market. Unfortunately, the trees are small, fastidious as to
environment, and somewhat uncertain in bearing.
Bernard S. Fox, San Jose, California, raised many pears from seed of
Belle Lucrative. Among these seedlings was one which fruited in 1873
and was named P. Barry, in honor of Patrick Barry,[31] an eminent
nurseryman and horticulturist of Rochester, New York. Of many scores
of seedlings raised by Mr. Fox only this one, Fox, and Colonel Wilder
were considered by the originator to be worthy of propagation. All
these received Wilder medals from the American Pomological Society in
1875 and 1881. In 1909, this Society added P. Barry to its catalog-list
of fruits.
Tree variable in size, lacking in vigor, spreading, open-topped,
unusually hardy, medium in productiveness; trunk slender; branches
stocky, zigzag, reddish-brown mingled with gray scarf-skin, marked
with large lenticels; branchlets slender, long, with long internodes,
reddish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with few small, very slightly raised
lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, free. Leaves 1-3/4 in. long, 1-1/8
in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin finely serrate,
tipped with few glands; petiole 1-1/2 in. long. Flower-buds small,
short, somewhat obtuse, free; flowers open late, 1-1/4 in. across,
well distributed, averaging 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long,
slender, slightly pubescent, pale green.
Fruit matures in late December to February; variable in size,
averaging 2-3/4 in. long, 2-1/4 in. wide, oblong-obtuse-pyriform,
irregular, with unequal sides; stem 1 in. long, thick, curved; cavity
obtuse, narrow, furrowed, compressed, often lipped; calyx small, open;
lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, obtuse; basin shallow,
narrow, obtuse, smooth and regular; skin variable in smoothness,
dull; color rich yellow, many specimens almost entirely overspread
with russet or with russet coating around the cavity and with russet
nettings and patches; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh
yellowish-white, fine, melting, sweet, juicy, with a rich, vinous,
aromatic flavor; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump,
acute.
[Illustration: PASSE COLMAR]
PASSE COLMAR
=1.= _Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =5=:410. 1824. =2.= Lindley _Guide
Orch. Gard._ 403. 1831. =3.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =1=:101. 1831. =4.=
Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ =444=, fig. 205. 1845. =5.= _Gard. Chron._
185, fig. 1845. =6.= _Mag. Hort._ =15=:445, fig. 39. 1849. =7.= _Gard.
Chron._ 989. 1861. =8.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 70, 1862. =9.= _Pom.
France_ =1=: No. 2, Pl. 2. 1863. =10.= Mas _Le Verger_ =1=:121, fig.
59. 1866-73. =11.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:499, figs. 1869. =12.=
_Guide Prat._ 60, 293. 1876. =13.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 627. 1884. =14.=
_Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom._ 436, fig. 1904.
_Preul's Colmar._ =15.= Liegel _Syst. Anleit._ =104=. 1825.
_Regentin._ =16.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:103. 1856. =17.=
Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 268. 1889. =18.= Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No.
=61=, Pl. 88. 1894.
Little known in America, this is one of the standard winter pears
in England. The fruits are exceedingly sugary, mildly spiced with
cinnamon, a flavor so unique, especially when compared with the piquant
flavor most common in winter pears, that the variety is worth growing
where it succeeds for the sake of diversity. The chief fault of the
variety is variability of product. On unsuitable soils and under
indifferent care, the pears are unattractive and poor in quality. The
accompanying illustration, it is to be feared, shows the variety at its
worst rather than at its best, since it does not thrive on the heavy,
cold clay of the Station lands. Under conditions at this Station, the
flesh is crisp and gritty, rather than buttery and fine as it seems
to be under more suitable conditions. The trees are very vigorous
on standard stocks and heavy soils, with the result that the fruits
are many but small and poor; checking vigor by dwarfing on quince or
planting on poor soil suits the variety. The trees are hardy and as
free as the average pear from blight. The variety is a good winter sort
for home or market.
This variety was raised in 1758 at Mons by the Abbé Hardenpont, the
Belgian priest and horticulturist. Extensively cultivated in Belgium,
it acquired a great diversity of names in different localities.
From that country it passed first to Germany toward the end of the
eighteenth century, and early in the nineteenth was taken to France.
Soon after the close of the Napoleonic wars, about 1817, it was
received in England. Within a few years after its introduction in
England, the variety found its way to America where, for a time, it was
quite extensively grown. The American Pomological Society added Passe
Colmar to its fruit-list in 1862 but dropped it in 1899.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright, tall, rapid-growing,
productive; trunk slender; branches medium in thickness and
smoothness, reddish-brown almost entirely overspread with thick, gray
scarf-skin, marked by large, conspicuous lenticels; branchlets thick,
long, light brown mingled with green, dull, smooth, pubescent only
near the ends of the new growth, sprinkled with few small, raised,
inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds short, plump, free, thick at the base; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 3 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, leathery;
apex taper-pointed; margin tipped with few small glands, finely
serrate to nearly entire; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous, pinkish-green.
Flower-buds small, short, thick, conical, plump, free, singly as
lateral buds or on very short spurs; flowers late, showy, 1-3/4 in.
across, unusually large, in dense clusters, average 6 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long, thick, thinly pubescent.
Fruit ripe December to January; medium in size, 2-1/2 in. long, 2-1/8
in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, somewhat irregular; stem 1 in.
long, very thick; cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, russeted, slightly
furrowed; calyx partly open; lobes separated at the base, rather
narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, gently furrowed; skin
thick, granular, tender, roughish; color greenish-yellow, sprinkled
with reddish-brown and russet patches and nettings; dots numerous,
small, russet, obscure; flesh tinged with yellow, granular, tender,
buttery, very juicy, sweet, vinous, aromatic; quality very good. Core
large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide,
conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: PITMASTON]
PITMASTON
=1.= _Can. Hort._ =26=:129, fig. 2564. 1903. =2.= Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr.
Ont._ 173, fig. 1914.
_Pitmaston Duchesse d'Angoulême._ =3.= _Gard. Chron._ 1108, fig. 1864.
=4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 55. 1871.
_Pitmaston Duchess._ =5.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S. =18=:11, fig. 1870. =6.=
Tilton _Jour. Hort._ =7=:239, fig. 1870. =7.= _Jour. Hort._ N. S.
38:201, fig. 30. 1880. =8.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 631. 1884. =9.= _Gard.
Chron._ 3rd Ser. =4=:608. 1888. =10.= _Rev. Hort._ 196, 651. 1900.
=11.= Bunyard _Handb. Hardy Fr._ 193. 1920.
Although this fine old English pear has more than ordinary merit, it
seems to be little grown in America. In appearance, the pears are
unsurpassed. The accompanying color-plate shows the shape and color
very well, but not the size, as, well grown, the pears are larger. From
the illustration, all must agree that the pears are handsome, fruits of
few other sorts being so alluring in shape and color. On warm soils or
in warm seasons, the flavor is choicely good giving the pears a rating
of "good to very good;" but in cold soils and seasons, the flavor is
often austere, or even acid and astringent. The season prolongs that
of Bartlett, and as the fruits are flavored very differently, being
more piquant and refreshing, and are ordinarily larger and handsomer,
Pitmaston ought to make a good market variety where it thrives. The
subacid flavor makes this one of the very best pears for culinary
purposes. Such reports as are at hand state that the fruits keep and
ship well. The variety seems not to have been grown widely in America,
so that one cannot speak with assurance of the tree-characters; but on
the grounds of this Station, the trees have fewer faults than those of
most of the standard varieties. They are hardy, vigorous, fairly immune
to blight, and while but moderately productive, bear annually, and the
large size of the fruits makes them high yielders. The variety should
be put on probation by those who grow for the markets, and is well
worthy a place in all home orchards.
Pitmaston was raised by John Williams at Pitmaston, near Worcester,
England, in 1841. It has been generally stated that it originated
from a cross between Duchesse d'Angoulême and Glou Morceau, although
an old gardener, who was employed by Mr. Williams, stated that there
was no record whatever of its parentage, but that it was the best of
a number of seedlings. For some time it was known as the _Pitmaston
Duchesse d'Angoulême_ on account of the theory of its derivation in
part from the Duchesse d'Angoulême; but in 1870 its name was simplified
in England to _Pitmaston Duchess_. In 1874 it obtained a first-class
certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society, England. In this
country it was first fruited by John Saul, Washington, District of
Columbia, in 1870, and was noted and illustrated by Elliott in the
_Rural New Yorker_ under the name _Pitmaston Duchesse d'Angoulême_.
Although favorably mentioned several times by the American Pomological
Society, the variety has never received a place in the Society's
fruit-catalog.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, dense-topped, moderately productive;
trunk stocky, shaggy; branches thick, slightly zigzag, reddish-brown,
overlaid with very dark grayish scarf-skin, marked with numerous
large lenticels; branchlets long, dull, dark reddish-brown, roughish,
glabrous, with numerous small, raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds short, obtuse, appressed; leaf-scars prominent. Leaves 2-1/2
in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin
finely serrate; petiole 1-3/4 in. long. Flower-buds short, conical,
pointed, free; flowers showy, 1-3/4 in. across, well distributed,
average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in October; large, 3-3/4 in. long, 3 in. wide,
oblong-obovate-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1 in. long, thick, often
curved; cavity very shallow and very narrow, or lacking, the flesh
drawn up in a wrinkled fold around the base of the stem, often lipped;
calyx closed, large; lobes long, broad, acute; basin shallow, obtuse,
furrowed and wrinkled; skin thin, granular, smooth, tender, dull;
color pale lemon-yellow, dotted and somewhat patched with light russet
especially around the stem, without blush; dots numerous, small,
russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, somewhat granular,
melting, buttery, very juicy, piquant and vinous; quality good to very
good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short,
wide, conical; seeds narrow, long, flat, acute, very often abortive.
[Illustration: POUND]
POUND
=1.= Coxe _Cult. Fr. Trees_ 209, fig. 63. 1817. =2.= Prince _Pom.
Man._ =1=:149. 1831. =3.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 151. 1832. =4.= Downing
_Fr. Trees Am._ 445. 1845. =5.= _Ibid._ 835. 1869. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Cat._ 22. 1871. =7.= Wickson _Cal. Fruits_ 326, 338, 344. 1889.
_Pickering._ =8.= Langley _Pomona_ 133, Pl. 71, fig. 1. 1729.
_Union._ =9.= Miller _Gard. Kal._ 31, 54. 1734. =10.= Miller _Gard.
Dict._ =2=: Pt. 1. 1807.
_Uvedale's St. Germain._ =11.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 413. 1831.
=12.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 70. 1862. =13.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 657.
1884. =14.= _Jour. Hort._ 3rd Ser. =13=:465. 1886. =15.= Bunyard
_Handb. Hardy Fr._ 202. 1920.
_Bruderbirne._ =16.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:148. 1856.
_Winter Bell._ =17.= Watson _Am. Home Gard._ 404, fig. 264. 1859.
_Belle Angevine._ =18.= _Gard. Chron._ 979. 1860. =19.= Mas _Le
Verger_ =1=:31 bis, fig. 22. 1866-73. =20.= _Gard. Chron._ 138. 1869.
=21.= _Guide Prat._ 61, 233. 1876.
_Schöne Angevine._ =22.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 279. 1889.
Pound is grown in collections for its monstrous fruits, which have few
virtues other than large size. The pears not infrequently weigh three
pounds, and one is noted in the next paragraph weighing four pounds,
nine ounces. The pears are coarse in form, texture and flavor--but one
degree better in flavor than the potato-like fruits of Kieffer and even
more sappy. The pears keep well and are said to be fairly good for
culinary purposes. The trees are unusually satisfactory, because of
which the variety should make a good parent from which to breed.
The name "Pound" has been applied to a number of varieties, notably
Black Worcester, Angora, Verulam, and others. The variety now known as
Pound in America is more generally known in Europe as _Belle Angevine_
or _Uvedale's St. Germain_. This sort appears to have been raised by a
Dr. Uvedale, who was a schoolmaster at Eltham, England, in 1690. Miller
in his Dictionary, in 1724, speaks of him as a Dr. Udal of Enfield,
"a curious collector and introducer of many rare exotics, plants and
flowers," and Bradley, in 1733, speaks of the pear as "Dr. Udale's
great pear, called by some the _Union_ pear." William Robert Prince
mentions the Pound pear in 1831 saying that "it often weighs from
twenty-five to thirty ounces, and one was exhibited in New Jersey about
four years since, weighing forty and a half ounces." In 1870, according
to Wickson, a Pound pear sent from Sacramento to the late Marshall P.
Wilder, President of the American Pomological Society, weighed four
pounds and nine ounces. In 1862, the American Pomological Society
added this variety to its fruit-catalog under the name _Uvedale's St.
Germain_, but in 1871 changed the name to Pound. The name continued to
appear in the Society's catalogs until 1909 when it was dropped.
Tree medium in size, upright, dense-topped, hardy, very productive;
trunk stocky, shaggy; branches thick, shaggy, zigzag, dull
reddish-brown, heavily covered with gray scarf-skin, marked with
many large lenticels; branchlets short, with short internodes,
brownish-red, mottled with gray scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with few
small, elongated lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, long, conical or pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars
prominent. Leaves 4-1/4 in. long, 3-3/4 in. wide, ovate, thin, stiff;
apex taper-pointed; margin glandular, finely serrate; petiole 1-3/4
in. long, slender. Flower-buds large, long, conical or pointed, very
plump, free, usually singly on short spurs; flowers open early, 1-3/8
in. across, large, well distributed, average 7 buds in a cluster;
pedicels 1-1/2 in. long, pubescent, pale green.
Fruit matures in February; large, 4 in. long, 2-7/8 in. wide, uniform
in size and shape, obovate-acute-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem
long, thick, curved; cavity obtuse, very shallow, narrow, russeted,
furrowed, drawn up in a fleshy ring about the stem; calyx large, open;
lobes separated at the base, obtuse; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse,
slightly furrowed, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, with patches of
russet, dull, roughened by the dots and by the russet markings;
color golden-yellow, often marked on the exposed cheek with a bronze
or pinkish blush; dots numerous, russet, very conspicuous; flesh
yellowish, firm, granular, very tough, subacid, inferior in flavor;
quality very poor. Core large, closed, axile, with meeting core-lines;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; carpels pear-shaped; seeds very
large, brownish-black, wide, long, acuminate.
[Illustration: PRÉSIDENT DROUARD]
PRÉSIDENT DROUARD
=1.= _Gard. Chron._ N. S. =25=:431. 1886. =2.= _Guide Prat._ 51. 1895.
=3.= _Cat. Cong. Pom. France_ 331, fig. 1906.
_Präsident Drouard._ =4.= Lucas _Tafelbirnen_ 211, fig. 1894.
_Drouard._ =5.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 35. 1899. =6.= Budd-Hansen _Am.
Hort. Man._ =2=:241. 1903. =7.= _Mich. Sta. Sp. Bul._ =27=:22. 1903.
Président Drouard has been on probation in the United States for nearly
thirty years, but does not seem to be in great demand in any part of
the country. In the pear-growing region of New York to which it first
came, it is scarcely known. The accompanying description shows that
the fruits contain all of the requisites of a good pear. The flesh is
juicy, melting, saccharine, rich, and perfumed. The trees, however,
are not satisfactory. They lack vigor, blight badly, and are niggardly
in bearing. With these faults, there is no place for the variety in
commercial plantations, but it may well be planted in home orchards and
in collections.
Président Drouard is a chance seedling found in the suburbs of
Pont-de-Ce, Maine-et-Loire, France, by M. Olivier, gardener at the
Fruit-Garden at Angers. It was sent out by M. Louis Leroy of Angers and
was described in 1886 as a new pear. It seems to have been introduced
in this country by Charles A. Green, Rochester, New York. The American
Pomological Society added the variety to its list of fruits under the
name _Drouard_ in 1899.
Tree of medium size, spreading, open-topped, usually hardy; branches
reddish-brown, nearly covered with gray scarf-skin, marked with
small lenticels; branchlets thick, long, greenish-brown mingled with
red, dull, smooth, pubescent on the new growth, with numerous small,
brownish, raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with very
prominent shoulders; Leaves 3 in. long, 1-3/4 in. wide, oval, thick,
leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin glandless or with but few
glands, entire or closely serrate; petiole glabrous, greenish, thick,
1-5/8 in. long, tinged red; stipules very short, tinged with pink.
Flower-buds short, conical, very plump, free, arranged singly on short
spurs; flowers 1-3/8 in. across, in dense clusters, 6 to 9 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 1-1/8 in. long, lightly pubscent, greenish.
Fruit in season from late November to December; large, 3-1/2 in. long,
3 in. wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, with unequal sides, uniform
in shape; stem 1 in. long, very thick and woody; cavity obtuse,
deep, irregular, furrowed, usually lipped; calyx large, open; lobes
separated at the base, long, narrow, acuminate; basin deep, abrupt,
usually smooth but sometimes gently furrowed; skin thick, tough,
rough, dull; color clear lemon-yellow, with nettings and streaks of
russet; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; flesh tinged with
yellow, very granular at the core, tender and melting, buttery,
juicy, aromatic, sweet; quality good. Core large, closed, axile, with
clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large,
wide, long, plump, acute, occasionally abortive.
[Illustration: REEDER]
REEDER
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 40. 1883. =2.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._
=2=:260. 1903.
_Reeder's Seedling._ =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 150. 1867.
_Doctor Reeder._ =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 739, fig. 1869. =5.=
_Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 20. 1871.
_Docteur Rhéder._ =6.= _Rev. Hort._ 87. 1889.
Reeder is another of the pears too good to discard, and not quite good
enough to give an ardent recommendation. In quality, the fruits rank
but little below those of Seckel; are about the same size as grown
under average conditions; but are even duller and less attractive in
color than the modest fruits of Seckel, which is probably one of its
parents. The fruits have a place in the home and markets as a pear to
follow Seckel, the crop coming in season just after that of Seckel
passes out. The trees do poorly in the nursery, as they make but a
short, slender growth until well established in the orchard, after
which they become of medium size but very vigorous. The branches
droop as do those of Winter Nelis, the other parent, although not
so markedly. The variety is as nearly blight-proof as either of its
parents.
Reeder is a seedling raised about 1855 by Dr. Henry Reeder, Varick, New
York, from seed of Winter Nelis. The parent tree stood near a Seckel
and it is considered that Reeder is a cross between the two varieties.
The American Pomological Society added the variety to its fruit-catalog
in 1871 under the name _Doctor Reeder_, but in 1883 changed the name to
Reeder.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, spreading, drooping, open-topped,
productive; branches zigzag, reddish-brown partly overspread with gray
scarf-skin, sprinkled with numerous lenticels; branchlets slender,
willowy, long, reddish-brown mingled with gray, the new growth
reddish-green, dull, smooth, glabrous except near the tips of the new
growth, with few very small, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long,
1-1/4 in. wide, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin crenate to nearly
entire; petiole 2 in. long, tinged with red; stipules few, very small,
reddish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, free, singly on
short spurs; flowers 1-1/4 in. across, in dense clusters, average 9
buds in a cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long, slender.
Fruit ripe in October and November; small, 1-3/4 in. long, 1-7/8 in.
wide, globular-obtuse-pyriform, slightly ribbed and irregular; stem
1-1/4 in. long, slender, curved; cavity a very small depression in
which is inserted the base of the stem, symmetrical; calyx large,
open; lobes separated at the base, long, narrow, reflexed, acuminate;
basin very shallow and narrow, smooth; skin thick, smooth, tender;
color dull greenish-yellow, mottled and streaked with russet, blushed
faintly on the exposed cheek with brownish-red; dots few, small,
obscure, greenish or russet; flesh white, granular toward the center
but fine-grained near the skin, tender, somewhat stringy, very juicy,
aromatic; quality good. Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines;
calyx-tube long, narrow, funnel-shaped; seeds unusually large, wide,
long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: RIEHL BEST]
RIEHL BEST
=1.= Stark Bros. _Cat._ 18. 1912. =2.= _Ibid._ 55. 1916.
Riehl Best is described among the major varieties because it is as
nearly blight-proof as any other European pear. It might well be
tried in localities where standard sorts cannot be raised because of
blight, and is worth growing in breeding work as a parent to obtain
blight-resistant varieties. The pears are rather unattractive in
appearance, but are excellent in quality. The flesh is juicy, tender,
vinous, free from grittiness and seldom rots at the core. The trees,
besides being nearly free from blight, are hardy to heat and cold, and
bear annually. The fruits fall far short of those of standard varieties
in New York.
This pear was discovered by Edwin H. Riehl, Godfrey, Illinois, and was
introduced by Stark Brothers, Louisiana, Missouri. Mr. Riehl says: "The
farm on which the original tree stood was owned by a pioneer nurseryman
who evidently imported from France a number of varieties, some perhaps
without name. Riehl Best trees and several hundreds of other varieties
represent the remains of three old orchards planted fifty years ago.
Trees of other varieties are ruined by blight while Riehl Best is
in perfect health and bears every season." From this history it is
probable that Riehl Best is an old European pear renamed.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, rapid-growing,
productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, light reddish-brown,
overspread with thin scarf-skin, marked with large, conspicuous,
numerous lenticels; branchlets slender, often willowy, long,
greenish-brown, dull, smooth, pubescent only near the ends of the new
growth, sprinkled with small, slightly raised, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 3 in. long, 1-3/4 in. wide, thick; apex
abruptly pointed; margin glandless, variable in serrations; petiole 2
in. long. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on
short spurs; flowers 1-5/8 in. across, in dense clusters, average 6
buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in. long, lightly pubescent.
Fruit ripens in October; medium in size, 2-1/2 in. long, 2 in. wide,
obovate-conic-pyriform, irregular, with unequal sides; stem 1-1/8 in.
long; cavity very shallow and narrow when present, or lacking, the
flesh drawn up in a lip on one side of the stem; calyx open; lobes
separated at the base, broad, obtuse; basin obtuse, furrowed; skin
thick, roughened with russet; color dull yellow, largely overlaid
with patches of russet, marked with distinct russet dots and with a
faint trace of a pinkish-red blush on the cheek next the sun; dots
numerous, russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow, granular
under the skin, tender, moderately juicy, vinous; quality good. Core
large, closed, axile, with meeting core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide,
conical; carpels ovate; seeds medium in size, width, and plumpness,
obtuse.
[Illustration: ROOSEVELT]
ROOSEVELT
=1.= _Gard. Chron._ 3rd Ser. =37=:243, fig. 92. 1905. =2.= _Rev.
Hort._ 454. 1905. =3.= _Rural N. Y._ =54=:826, fig. 352. 1905. =4.=
Bunyard _Cat._ 43. 1913-14. =5.= Bunyard _Handb. Hardy Fr._ 195. 1920.
This variety is still on probation in America, with the chances
strongly against it proving worthy to bear the name of the man after
whom it was called. On the grounds of the New York Agricultural
Experiment Station, the fruits are too small, too poorly colored, and
too poor in quality to compete with those of a score of other sorts
of the same season. The core is remarkably small, and the seeds are
few and small, but these are insufficient merits to count against the
several defects named. The tree is robust and generally satisfactory.
The variety may not be at its best on the grounds of this Station, as
in Europe it was heralded as a most remarkable sort--one "destined to
bring about a revolution in pear-growing." It may be worth further
trial in New York.
This pear was introduced in 1905 by the noted French pomologist Charles
Baltet, Troyes, France, after he had tested it for several years.
He named it after President Roosevelt. The variety was approved at
Horticultural Congresses in Paris, Lyons, and Orléans, as well as by
the Royal Horticultural Society of London. It was received in America
shortly after its dissemination in France.
Tree medium to large, vigorous, very upright, dense-topped,
rapid-growing, productive; trunk slender, smooth; branches slender,
smooth, glossy reddish-brown, mottled and overlaid with gray
scarf-skin, marked with numerous small, raised lenticels; branchlets
characteristically thick, with blunt ends, long, with short
internodes, dull reddish-brown mingled with gray scarf-skin, smooth,
glabrous, with many large, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds long, conical, sharply pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 3 in. long, 1-3/8 in. wide, stiff; apex
taper-pointed; margin usually glandless, finely serrate to almost
entire; petiole 2 in. long, slender, curved. Flower-buds large,
long, conical, pointed, free, singly on short spurs; flowers with a
disagreeable odor, early, showy, 1-5/8 in. across, in dense clusters,
average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/8 in. long, thick, pubescent.
Fruit ripens in late September and October; medium in size, about
2-7/16 in. in length and width, roundish-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical;
stem 1 in. long, thick; cavity very shallow, or lacking, faintly
lipped; calyx very open, large; lobes separated at the base, narrow,
acute; basin shallow, wide, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin
unusually thick, tough, smooth, dull; color pale lemon-yellow, mottled
and netted with russet, with a faint blush; dots numerous, small,
light russet, obscure; flesh light salmon, fine-grained except at
the center which is granular, tender and melting, very juicy, mildly
sweet, without much character; quality medium. Core small, closed,
axile, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube long, very wide, conical;
carpels cordate; seeds wide, acute.
[Illustration: RUTTER]
RUTTER
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 151. 1867. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 24.
1869. =3.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 848, fig. 1869.
Rutter does not seem to have made a very high place for itself in the
country at large, but about Geneva, New York, it is a most excellent
late autumn variety. The pears are good or very good in quality,
rather attractive, keep well, ship well, and sell well to those who
know the variety. The trees have a combination of good characters
that commend them most highly. Thus, they are comparatively immune to
blight, enormously productive, bear early, grow rapidly, live long, and
are hardy. The fruits hang exceptionally well to the trees, so that
the variety is a valuable one for exposed situations. Rutter can be
recommended for both home and market plantations.
This variety was raised by John Rutter, West Chester, Pennsylvania,
from seed of Léon Leclerc (Van Mons) about sixty years ago. It was
approved by the Committee on New Native Fruits of the American
Pomological Society in 1867. This Society placed the variety on its
list of recommended fruits in 1869.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, rapid-growing,
productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, reddish-brown, covered
with gray scarf-skin, sprinkled with very conspicuous lenticels;
branchlets long, light brown mingled with green and streaked with
ash-gray scarf-skin, smooth, glabrous, with small, conspicuous, raised
lenticels.
Leaf-buds long, conical, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3-3/8 in. long,
1-5/8 in. wide, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin nearly
glandless, almost entire; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous, reddish-green.
Flower-buds medium in size and length, conical, plump, free, singly on
short spurs; flowers very showy, 1-3/8 in. across, almost in racemes,
6 or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/4 in. long, pubescent.
Fruit matures in late October and early November; large, 3-1/8 in.
long, 3 in. wide, roundish-obtuse-pyriform, with a very thick, blunt
neck, with unequal sides; stem 3/4 in. long, thick, woody; cavity
acuminate, unusually large, deep, russeted, occasionally furrowed and
wrinkled, slightly lipped; calyx small, open; lobes separated at the
base, short, narrow, acute; basin deep, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical;
skin thick, gritty, roughish, dull; color yellow, overspread with
light russet, mottled and flecked with russet; dots numerous, small,
russet, conspicuous; flesh whitish, granular at the center, tender and
melting, juicy, aromatic, sweet but refreshing; quality good to very
good. Core small, closed, abaxile, with meeting core-lines; calyx-tube
long, conical; seeds small, roundish, plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: SECKEL]
SECKEL
=1.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =1=:139. 1831. =2.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 183.
1832. =3.= _Gard. Chron._ 708, fig. 1842. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._
415, fig. 188. 1845. =5.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51. 1848. =6.=
Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:33, Pl. 1851. =7.= _Mag. Hort._ =19=:457, fig.
34. 1853. =8.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1, 29, fig. 13. 1866-73. =9.=
Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:656, figs. 1869. =10.= _Guide Prat._ 63, 303.
1876.
_Seckle._ =11.= Coxe _Cult. Fr. Trees_ 189, fig. 25. 1817. =12.=
_Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =3=:256, Pl. 9. 1820. =13.= _Pom. Mag._
=2=:72, Pl. 1829. =14.= _Hort. Reg._ (Eng.) =1=:488. 1833. =15.=
_Pom. France_ =2=: No. 64, Pl. 64. 1864. =16.= _Jour. Hort._ 3rd
Ser. =4=:128. 1882. =17.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 644. 1884. =18.= Bunyard
_Handb. Hardy Fr._ 197. 1920.
Seckel is an American pear distinct in type from any European variety.
Among the several hundred pears that are grown on this side of the
Atlantic, Seckel stands almost alone in vigor of tree, productiveness,
and immunity to blight, and is equalled by no other variety in high
quality of fruit. If the fruits were larger, Seckel would challenge
the world as a pear for the markets as it now does as a pear for the
home orchard. After Bartlett and the disreputable Kieffer, it is now
more grown than any other variety in America, everywhere being used as
the standard for excellence. The fruits are small, not highly colored,
but attractive because clean and trim in contour. But it is the
flesh-characters that give the fruits their high standing. The flesh is
melting, juicy, perfumed and most exquisitely and delicately flavored,
with the curious character of having much of its spicy, aromatic
flavor in the skin, which should never be discarded in eating. The
reddish-brown color of the fruit is another distinguishing character
of Seckel. Unlike most other dessert pears, the fruits of this one are
excellent for culinary purposes. Still another distinctive character
is that the fruits do not lose much in quality by ripening on the
tree. Besides being nearly iron-clad in resistance to blight and very
productive, the trees are almost as hardy as those of any other pear,
and are remarkable for their large, low, compact, broadly pyramidal
tops. The tree is further distinguished by its short-jointed, stout,
olive-colored wood, and its habit of bearing fruits in clusters on the
ends of the branches. The trees do best in fertile soils which must
not be a heavy clay. Its blossoms are markedly self-fertile. There
are several faults of fruit and tree. The fruits are small and do not
keep after maturity; it costs twice as much to pick them as it does
the large-fruited Bartlett; fruit and foliage are susceptible to scab;
the pears are too small for commercial canning; and the trees are late
in coming in bearing. With these several faults, however, Seckel is
usually a profitable commercial variety as a well-grown crop almost
always commands a fancy price. For the home orchard, Seckel has no
rival in any part of North America where European varieties are grown.
Toward the close of the eighteenth century, there lived in Philadelphia
a well-known sportsman and cattle dealer known as "Dutch Jacob."
Every autumn, upon returning from shooting excursions, Dutch Jacob
distributed among his neighbors pears of exceedingly delicious flavor.
The place of their growth he kept secret. In time, a tract of land
south of Philadelphia was disposed of in parcels, and Dutch Jacob
secured the ground on which his favorite pear tree stood, a neck of
land near the Delaware river. Shortly afterwards this land became the
property of a Mr. Seckel, who gave the pear his name and introduced
it. Later, the property was added to the estate of Stephen Girard,
and the original tree long remained vigorous and fruitful. The new
variety was soon widely disseminated and everywhere became popular.
As early as 1819, Dr. Hossack of New York sent trees of the variety
to the London Horticultural Society, whence it was later distributed
in England. There is much difference of opinion as to the spelling of
the name of this pear. Coxe, who lived in Philadelphia and probably
knew the introducer of the pear, writing in 1817, spelled the name
_Seckle_. English pomologists have followed Coxe. Nearly all of Coxe's
contemporaries, however, spelled it _Seckel_, the spelling now in
common use. At the first meeting of the American Pomological Society,
held in 1848, Seckel was recommended for general cultivation and the
variety has ever held its place among the pears recommended by the
Society.
Tree large and very vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy,
very productive, long-lived; trunk very stocky; branches thick,
reddish-brown mingled with dull gray scarf-skin, covered with small
lenticels; branchlets thick, long, dark reddish-brown, dull, smooth,
glabrous, with small, slightly raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, obtuse or pointed, appressed; leaf-scars
prominent. Leaves 2-1/2 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, oval, leathery;
apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long;
stipules very long when present. Flower-buds small, short, conical,
free; flowers 1-1/4 in. across, in dense clusters, 7 or 8 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 5/8 in. long, slender, lightly pubescent, light
green, slightly streaked with red.
Fruit ripe in October; small, 2-1/4 in. long, 2 in. wide, uniform
in size and shape, obovate, symmetrical; stem 1/2 in. long, short,
thick, often curved; cavity obtuse, with a very shallow, narrow
depression, symmetrical; calyx small, partly open; lobes separated
at the base, short, variable in width, acute; basin very shallow
and narrow, strongly obtuse, symmetrical; skin smooth, dull; color
yellowish-brown, lightly marked with pale russet and often with a
lively russet-red cheek; dots numerous, very small, russet or grayish;
flesh white, with a faint tinge of yellow, slightly granular, melting,
buttery, very juicy; sweet, with an exceedingly rich, aromatic, spicy
flavor; quality very good to best. Core small, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, conical; seeds small, short, not very
plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: SHELDON]
SHELDON
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =17=:252, fig. 25. 1851. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._
151. 1854. =3.= _Ibid._ 210. 1856. =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 444,
fig. 1857. =5.= Elliott _Fr. Book_ 347. 1859. =6.= Hoffy _N. Am.
Pom._ =1=: Pl. 1860. =7.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 2, 119, fig. 156.
1866-73. =8.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 855, fig. 1869. =9.= Leroy
_Dict. Pom._ =2=:662, fig. 1869.
Were the fruits alone to be considered, Sheldon would take rank as
one of the best of all pears. The fruits please both the eye and the
palate. Those of no rival in season surpass them either in appearance
or in characters that satisfy taste. While not large, the fruits are of
sufficient size to meet the demands of a good dessert pear. The shape
is a perfect turbinate, truncated at the base of the fruit, usually
very symmetrical, and the fruits run uniform in shape. In color, the
pears are distinctive in their russeted skin, with a handsome ruddy
cheek. The accompanying color-plate does not do justice to the fruit
in illustrating size, shape, or color. The flesh is melting and juicy,
and deserves, more than that of almost any other pear, the adjective
luscious. The flavor is sweet, vinous, and highly perfumed. The
fruits keep well, ship well, and sell well during their season, and
are esteemed both for dessert and for culinary purposes. The list of
faults in the trees is as long as the list of virtues in the fruits.
The trees, while large, vigorous, and hardy, blight as badly as any
pear-tree in the orchard, are reluctant in coming in bearing, niggardly
in production, and seldom hold their crop well. With these faults of
the tree, Sheldon is not a commercial variety of high rank, but the
splendid fruits make it worth growing by the pear-fancier, in the home
orchard, or for the markets where the faults of the trees are not too
marked. The variety grows better in New York, possibly, than in any
other part of the United States.
This pear is a native of the town of Huron, New York. The original tree
stood on the premises of Major Sheldon, having sprung from seed brought
by his father from Washington, New York, about 1815. The fruit was
first exhibited at the Pomological Convention in Syracuse in the autumn
of 1849. In 1854, Sheldon was mentioned by the American Pomological
Society as promising well, and in 1856 it was given a place in the
Society's fruit-catalog.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, rapid-growing, hardy,
moderately productive; trunk stocky; branches thick, reddish-brown,
overlaid with dull gray scarf-skin, marked with large lenticels;
branches thick, dull brown, glabrous, with numerous slightly raised,
conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, above medium in length, obtuse or somewhat pointed,
appressed. Leaves 2-1/2 in. long, 1-1/4 in. wide, oval, leathery;
apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long.
Flower-buds conical or pointed, free; flowers 1-1/8 in. across, in
dense clusters, 13 or 14 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long,
thick, pubescent, greenish.
Fruit matures in October; large, 2-3/4 in. long, 2-1/2 in. wide,
uniform in size and shape, turbinate, often with a tendency to
oblateness, symmetrical; stem 3/4 in. long, thick, nearly straight;
cavity obtuse, deep, slightly furrowed, occasionally lipped;
calyx large, open; lobes very broad, obtuse; basin wide, obtuse,
symmetrical; skin thick, granular, tender, roughish; color dull
greenish-yellow, with a brownish-red blush, overspread with russet
nettings and streaks; dots numerous, small, russet; flesh whitish,
somewhat granular, tender and melting, very juicy, sweet, and vinous,
with a rich and pleasantly aromatic flavor; quality very good to best.
Core large, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide,
conical; seeds acute.
[Illustration: SOUVENIR DU CONGRÈS]
SOUVENIR DU CONGRÈS
=1.= _Pom. France_ =4=: No. 162, Pl. 162. 1867. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Cat._ 34. 1875. =3.= _Flor. & Pom._ 37, Pl. 1875. =4.= _Jour. Hort._
N. S. =38=:120, fig. 19. 1880. =5.= _Hogg Fruit Man._ 647. 1884. =6.=
_Cat. Cong. Pom. France_ 350, fig. 1906.
_Andenken an den Congress._ =7.= _Oberdieck Obst-Sort._ 237. 1881.
=8.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 168. 1889. =9.= _Deut. Obstsorten_ =6=: Pt.
16, Pl. 1910.
_Souvenir._ =10.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 24. 1897. =11.= Ont. Dept. Agr.
_Fr. Ont._ 179. 1914.
Very similar to Clapp Favorite and Bartlett, and not as good as either
in fruit-characters, Souvenir du Congrès hardly merits a place in
American pomology. The crop ripens between those of the two sorts
with which it has been compared, and the fruits are larger and often
handsomer. The fruits are said to be larger and of better quality when
the tree is double-worked on the quince. The tree is remarkable for
vigor, hardihood to cold, and healthfulness; and bears so abundantly
that the crop must be thinned to prevent breaking of branches. The
variety grows especially well in New York, and is deserving a place in
home orchards and in fruit-collections. The accompanying color-plate
illustrates the size, shape, and color of this pear remarkably well.
Souvenir du Congrès owes its origin to M. François Morel, Lyons,
France. M. Morel grafted one of his pear-trees with cions taken from
several other varieties, including Bartlett, and from the tree thus
grafted he obtained fruit, seeds of which he sowed in 1852. One of the
resultant trees bore fruit in 1863, and the pears had so many earmarks
of Bartlett that it was at once assumed to be a seedling of that
variety. The tree continued to do well and in due course the variety
was judged to be worthy of dissemination by the Rhône Horticultural
Society. Later, M. Morel dedicated the new pear to the Pomological
Congress of France. The variety was introduced in the United States
about 1870. The American Pomological Society placed Souvenir du
Congrès on its fruit-catalog list in 1875.
Tree medium in size and vigor, upright-spreading, open-topped, very
productive; branches zigzag, dull reddish-brown, heavily overspread
with ash-gray scarf-skin, marked by small, raised lenticels;
branchlets thick, long, reddish-brown, overspread with dull gray
mingled with green, smooth, glabrous, with few small, slightly raised
lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 1-7/8 in. long,
1-1/2 in. wide, roundish-oval, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin
tipped with very few glands, finely serrate; petiole 1-1/2 in. long,
glabrous, tinged with red. Flower-buds short, conical or pointed,
plump, free, arranged singly on very short spurs or branchlets;
flowers with a disagreeable odor, 1-1/8 in. across, pinkish-white as
the buds unfold, becoming whitish, in dense clusters, 6 to 8 buds in a
cluster; pedicels 3/4 in. long, thick, heavily pubescent, light green.
Fruit ripe in September; large, 3-7/16 in. long, 2-11/16 in. wide,
uniform in size and shape, oblong-acute-pyriform, symmetrical, with
unequal sides; stem 1 in. long, short, thick, curved; cavity obtuse,
almost lacking, very shallow, narrow, russeted, slightly furrowed,
often with the stem inserted beneath a pronounced irregular lip; calyx
open; lobes separated at the base, narrow, acute; basin wide, obtuse
and flaring, slightly furrowed, symmetrical, smooth except for the
thick, russet covering; color yellow, with a reddish blush on the
exposed cheek, covered with nettings of russet and yellow patches;
dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh white, with a faint
tinge of yellow, firm, granular, tender, very juicy, sweet, with a
musky flavor; quality good. Core closed, with clasping core-lines;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: SOUVENIR D'ESPÉREN]
SOUVENIR D'ESPÉREN
=1.= Barry _Fr. Garden_ 318. 1851. =2.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 857.
1869. =3.= Tilton _Jour. Hort._ =6=:14, fig. 1869.
Downing, in 1869, noted this old French pear as one of the best for
either amateur or commercial grower, and at that time it was rather
widely planted. Now, however, growers seldom set it. The trees are
vigorous, hardy, healthy, and productive, and the fruits are attractive
in appearance and rather good in quality, but neither tree nor fruit
rise much above mediocrity, and the variety has no outstanding
character to give it individuality. The crop comes in season in
December, the pears keeping well until ripe, after which they quickly
decay. The variety is worth planting only for the sake of diversity.
Major Espéren, Mechlin, Belgium, raised this pear from seed about the
middle of the nineteenth century. The name _Souvenir d'Espéren_ was
at one time applied to _Fondante de Noël_ in consequence of which
confusion has existed as to the identity of the two sorts. The pear
reached America about 1850.
Tree medium in size, upright, slightly spreading, dense-topped,
productive; branches reddish-brown overlaid with thin scarf-skin,
marked with very conspicuous but scattering lenticels; branchlets very
thick and long, with long internodes, light brown mingled with green,
dull, glabrous, sprinkled with small, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 3 in. long,
1-5/8 in. wide; apex abruptly pointed; margin uneven, finely serrate;
petiole 2-5/8 in. long, tinged red. Flower-buds small, short, conical,
plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers open late, showy,
1-3/8 in. across, average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/4 in.
long, slender.
Fruit ripe the last of November and December; large, 3-1/2 in. long,
2-5/8 in. wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform, the surface uneven; stem
1-1/4 in. long, slender; cavity very obtuse and shallow or lacking,
the flesh drawn up about the base of the stem in a lip; calyx partly
open, small; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin
shallow, narrow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thick, roughened with russet;
color greenish-yellow, mottled and patched with russet, sprinkled with
many russet dots and often with russet overspreading nearly the entire
surface; dots numerous, russet, small; flesh yellowish, very granular
near the center, firm, crisp but tender, juicy, with a pleasant,
aromatic, vinous flavor; quality good to very good. Core large,
closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical;
seeds small, short, plump, acute, light brown.
[Illustration: SUDDUTH]
SUDDUTH
=1.= _Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 144, Pl. 1894. =2.= _Mich. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._ 141. 1894. =3.= _Can. Hort._ =19=:126, figs. 936 and 937. 1896.
=4.= _Gard. Chron._ 3rd Ser. =19=:108. 1896. =5.= _Ill. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._ 9. 1897. =6.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:264. 1903.
Sudduth has little to recommend it for New York or eastern pear
regions, but it is a standard sort in parts of the Mississippi Valley.
The characters which give it a place in the pear flora of the region
just named are remarkable freedom from blight, hardiness to cold
and heat, capacity to withstand drought, early bearing, and great
productiveness. The fruits are neither attractive in appearance nor
high in quality--hardly fit for dessert, being but a grade or two
better than the disreputable Kieffer. Like those of the Kieffer,
however, the fruits do very well for all culinary purposes. They do not
keep well as they soften at the center soon after becoming edible. The
trees are said to be nearly as hardy as those of the wild crab-apple.
The variety is desirable only where hardiness and freedom from blight
are prime requisites.
The Sudduth pear was introduced about 1895, although the parent tree
was at that time fully seventy years old. It originated from seed
planted by Thomas Constant in 1820, in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Later, Judge Stephen A. Logan of Springfield, Abraham Lincoln's first
law partner, acquired the property on which the tree stood and from
him Titus Sudduth bought the place in 1862. Sudduth was so impressed
with the fruit that he had trees propagated by Augustine and
Company, Normal, Illinois, and disseminated under his name.
Tree large, vigorous, upright becoming quite spreading, open-topped,
hardy, productive; trunk stocky, shaggy; branches thick, smooth, dull
reddish-brown, almost entirely covered with gray scarf-skin, sprinkled
with numerous large, raised lenticels; branchlets slender, curved,
long, with long internodes, dull reddish-brown, overspread with thin
gray scarf-skin which is mingled with green, dull, smooth, glabrous,
with conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, pointed, appressed, somewhat flattened. Leaves 3
in. long, 1-5/8 in. wide, thin, velvety; apex taper-pointed; margin
glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, slender, tinged red,
glabrous. Flower-buds small, short, conical, free, singly on very
short spurs; flowers late, 1-1/8 in. across, in dense clusters,
average 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in. long, thick, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late September and October; medium or below in size,
2-1/4 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide, roundish-oblate, slightly conical
toward the apex; stem 7/8 in. long, slender; cavity acute, deep,
narrow, smooth, sometimes lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated
at the base, long, acute; basin very shallow, narrow, obtuse,
occasionally wrinkled; skin thin, tough, smooth, dull; color light
green, without blush; dots very small, russet or greenish, very
obscure; flesh greenish-white, firm, crisp, rather dry, subacid;
quality medium to poor. Core large, closed, axile, with meeting
core-lines; calyx-tube wide, conical; carpels ovate; seeds variable in
size, wide, flat, obtuse.
[Illustration: SUMMER DOYENNÉ]
SUMMER DOYENNÉ
=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 40. 1883. =2.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 651. 1884.
=3.= Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr. Ont._ 180, fig. 1914.
_Doyenné d'Été._ =4.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 336. 1845. =5.= _Gard.
Chron._ 508, fig. 1847. =6.= _Mag. Hort._ =13=:66, fig. 8. 1847. =7.=
Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:59, Pl. 1851. =8.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 53. 1852.
=9.= _Horticulturist_ N. S. =3=:491, fig. 1853. =10.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 742, fig. 1869.
_Sommerdechantsbirne._ =11.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:20. 1856.
_Doyenné de Juillet._ =12.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:77, fig. 1869.
=13.= _Guide Prat._ 57, 266. 1876.
_Juli Dechantsbirne._ =14.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 239. 1889. =15.=
Gaucher _Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 51, Pl. 108. 1894.
The extremely early and highly flavored fruits, which are borne in
prodigious quantities, make this a very desirable pear for the home
garden. The fruits have no value for the markets, as they are small, do
not keep well, and are unattractive. The tree, while never large, is of
medium size, comes in bearing early, is hardy, and is as free as most
of its orchard associates from blight. Both fruit and foliage suffer
badly from pear-scab, and no amount of spraying can give the fruits a
fair cheek in seasons when this fungus is epidemic.
Van Mons is supposed to have originated this variety about 1800 as Diel
mentioned it among his best pears in 1812. Summer Doyenné was first
brought to the notice of American pomologists by William Kenrick, who
compiled a description of it as early as 1836. It does not, however,
appear to have been introduced until 1843. It was recommended for
general culture in the United States by the American Pomological
Society in 1852.
Tree variable in size, upright, vigorous, very productive; trunk
slender; branches slender, slightly zigzag, brownish, overlaid
with gray scarf-skin, marked with numerous conspicuous lenticels;
branchlets slender, long, light brown mingled with green, the new
growth tinged with red, smooth, glabrous except near the ends of the
new growth, with numerous raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, sharply pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
prominent shoulders. Leaves 2-7/8 in. long, 1-1/8 in. wide, thin,
leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 1-3/4
in. long, tinged with pink. Flower-buds small, short, plump, free,
singly on very short spurs; flowers showy, 1-1/4 in. across, in dense
clusters, 7 to 9 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1-1/4 in. long, slender,
pubescent.
Fruit ripe in early August; small, 1-1/2 in. long, 1-5/8 in. wide,
obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 1-1/8 in. long, slender;
cavity obtuse, shallow, narrow, slightly furrowed, often lipped; calyx
small, closed; lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acuminate;
basin shallow, obtuse, furrowed; skin thin, smooth, tender, waxen
yellow, washed or blushed with bright red, deepening on the exposed
cheek to crimson; dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; flesh tinged
with yellow, fine-grained, tender and melting, juicy, variable in
flavor and quality, pleasantly sprightly under favorable conditions;
quality variable, good under the best conditions. Core closed, axile,
with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, narrow, urn-shaped;
carpels roundish-ovate; seeds small, narrow, flat, acute.
[Illustration: TYSON]
TYSON
=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =12=:433, fig. 30. 1846. =2.= _Horticulturist_
=1=:433. 1846-47. =3.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51. 1848. =4.= Hovey
_Fr. Am._ =1=:33, Pl. 1851. =5.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 444, fig.
1857. =6.= _Ibid._ 870, fig. 1869. =7.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:710,
fig. 1869. =8.= Oberdieck _Obst-Sort._ 333. 1881. =9.= Lauche _Deut.
Pom._ =II=: No. 95, Pl. 95. 1883. =10.= Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr. Ont._
182, fig. 1914.
Tyson competes with Clapp Favorite as the precursor of the pear season
which is really opened by Bartlett. In every character of fruit and
tree excepting size and color of fruit, Tyson excels Clapp Favorite.
The quality of the fruit far excels that of Clapp Favorite and it is
better than that of Bartlett. Indeed, of commonly grown pears, the
characters of flesh and flavor are second only to those of the fruits
of Seckel. The flesh is melting and juicy, with a spicy, scented
sweetness that gives the fruit the charm of individuality. The pears
keep longer and ship better than those of Clapp Favorite; their season
in New York is from the middle of August to the middle of September.
Unfortunately, the pears are but medium in size, and are often poorly
colored, both of which defects appear on the fruits of this variety
as grown on the grounds of this Station and shown in the accompanying
illustration. The tree is the most nearly perfect of that of any pear
grown in America--the Kieffer, praiseworthy only in its tree, not
excepted. The tree is certainly as hardy as that of any other variety,
if not hardier, and resists better than that of any other sort the
black scourge of blight. Add to these notable characters large size,
great vigor, and fruitfulness, and it is seen that the trees are nearly
flawless. The only fault is, and this a comparatively trifling one,
that the trees are slow in coming in bearing. Tyson is the best pear
of its season for the home orchard, and has much merit for commercial
orchards. Were the fruits larger, it would rival Bartlett for the
markets. No other variety offers so many good starting points for the
pear-breeder.
Tyson originated as a wilding found about 1794 in a hedge on the land
of Jonathan Tyson, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. The tree first bore fruit
in 1800. The pears proved to be so good that Mr. Tyson distributed
cions among his neighbors, but the variety was not generally
disseminated. About 1837, a Doctor Mease of Philadelphia sent cions
to B. V. French, Braintree, near Boston, who in turn distributed them
among his friends. The variety fruited here about 1842, and the fruit
was exhibited before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society under the
name Tyson. In 1848, at the National Convention of Fruit-Growers, Tyson
was recommended for general cultivation, and since that date the name
has appeared continuously in the catalogs of the American Pomological
Society.
Tree very large, vigorous, upright-spreading, tall, dense-topped,
hardy, productive; trunk very stocky, rough; branches thick, dull
reddish-brown, overspread with gray scarf-skin, with few lenticels;
branchlets slender, short, light brown mingled with green, smooth,
glabrous, sprinkled with few small, inconspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, appressed or free.
Leaves 2-3/4 in. long, 1-1/2 in. wide, thin; apex abruptly pointed;
margin finely and shallowly serrate; petiole 1-5/8 in. long.
Flower-buds small, short, conical, pointed, plump, free, singly on
short spurs; flowers medium in season of bloom.
Fruit matures in late August; medium in size, 2-1/8 in. long, 1-3/4
in. wide, roundish-acute-pyriform, with unequal sides; stem 1-3/4 in.
long, curved; cavity very shallow, obtuse, roughened, usually drawing
up as a lip about the base of the stem; calyx open, small; lobes
separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow,
flaring, slightly furrowed, compressed; skin tough, smooth, slightly
russeted, dull; color deep yellow, usually blushed; dots numerous,
very small, obscure; flesh tinged with yellow, granular around the
basin, otherwise rather fine-grained, tender and melting, very juicy,
sweet, aromatic; quality very good. Core small, closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube, short, wide, conical; seeds medium in size and
width, plump, acute.
[Illustration: URBANISTE]
URBANISTE
=1.= _Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =5=:411. 1824. =2.= Lindley _Guide
Orch. Gard._ 384. 1831. =3.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 186. 1832. =4.=
_Mag. Hort._ =10=:131, fig. 1844. =5.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 417,
fig. 190. 1845. =6.= _Gard. Chron._ 68, fig. 1847. =7.= Hovey _Fr.
Am._ =2=:21, Pl. 1851. =8.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 53. 1852. =9.= _Pom.
France_. =1=: No. 32, Pl. 32. 1863. =10.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 1,
193, fig. 95. 1866-73. =11.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 871, fig. 1869.
=12.= _Guide Prat._ 59, 308. 1876. =13.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 657. 1884.
_Urbanister Sämling._ =14.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:116. 1856.
_Poire des Urbanistes._ =15.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._ =2=:712, fig. 1869.
_Coloma's Herbst Butterbirne._ =16.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 197. 1889.
=17.= Lucas _Tafelbirnen_ 109, fig. 1894.
Urbaniste is another variety desirable for home use because of its
highly-flavored fruits--so sweet, rich, perfumed, and luscious as to
be a natural sweetmeat. The fruits are of but medium size and not
particularly handsome, but the taste excels the looks. The flesh is
as tender, sweet, juicy, and as delicately perfumed as that of Seckel
or White Doyenné, but with a distinct flavor and scent which give the
fruits the added charm of individuality. The crop ripens in October,
in a season when there are many other pears, but the fruits stand
comparison with those of any other variety and are welcome additions
to the fruit-basket. The trees have several defects, chief of which is
tardiness in coming in bearing, to remedy which grafting on the quince
is recommended. They are also susceptible to blight, and are not as
hardy as might be wished. Of all pears, the tree of this variety is one
of the handsomest--clean and tidy, slender and graceful, yet robust
and productive. Fruit and tree make this a valuable variety for home
plantings.
Urbaniste originated as a wilding in the gardens of the religious order
of Urbanistes, Mechlin, Belgium. After the suppression of this order in
1783, their gardens remained uncultivated for some time and produced
new seedlings of considerable merit. The beauty of one of these
attracted the attention of Count de Coloma, a well-known pomologist,
who acquired this property in 1786, and in due course propagated
and disseminated the variety under the name Urbaniste. Early in the
nineteenth century, Count de Coloma sent specimens of the pear to the
London Horticultural Society, which organization afterwards distributed
it in England about 1823. Thomas Andrew Knight sent cions to John
Lowell, Roxbury, Massachusetts, through whom it became disseminated in
the United States. The American Pomological Society added Urbaniste to
its fruit-catalog list in 1852.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, slow-growing,
productive with age; trunk slender, shaggy; branches stocky, shaggy,
zigzag, reddish-brown, overspread with gray scarf-skin, sprinkled
with numerous lenticels; branchlets long, reddish-brown mingled with
grayish scarf-skin, smooth, zigzag, glabrous, marked with conspicuous,
raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, obtuse, semi-free. Leaves 2-1/4 in. long, 7/8 in.
wide, thin, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate;
petiole 1-1/2 in. long, slender. Flower-buds short, variable in shape,
free.
Fruit ripe in late October and early November; medium in size,
2-3/8 in. long, 2 in. wide, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, with unequal
sides; stem 5/8 in. long, short, thick; cavity obtuse, shallow,
narrow, faintly russeted, furrowed, slightly lipped; calyx open;
lobes separated at the base, narrow, obtuse; basin shallow, narrow,
obtuse, slightly furrowed; skin thick, tough, roughened by the russet
nettings, dull; color pale yellow, often with a faint russet-red blush
on the exposed cheek and marked with nettings and patches of russet;
dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh tinged with yellow,
granular especially around the core, tender and melting, buttery,
juicy, sweet, pleasantly aromatic; quality very good. Core closed,
with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds
medium in size and width, long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: VERMONT BEAUTY]
VERMONT BEAUTY
=1.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 65. 1889. =2.= _Ibid._ 176. 1890. =3.=
_Ibid._ 134. 1891. =4.= _Can. Hort._ =16=:184. 1893. =5.= _Am. Pom.
Soc. Cat._ 37. 1899. =6.= Ellwanger & Barry _Cat._ 18. 1900. =7.=
Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:267. 1903.
The fruits of Vermont Beauty elicit praise from all who see or taste
them. The bright-cheeked pears are as alluring to the eye as those of
any other, and are almost as delectable as those of Seckel, which they
resemble in shape, but are larger and handsomer. Of all pears, those
of this variety (or of Forelle, with which it may be identical) best
satisfy the eye for bright color. The crop ripens a little later and
keeps longer than that of Seckel, and for these reasons, and because of
the handsome appearance, should sell better. The pears will probably
be most used to grace the table and for dessert, but the somewhat more
sprightly flavor makes them better suited for all culinary purposes
than those of Seckel. The trees are scarcely less satisfactory than
the fruits. They are preëminent among their kind by virtue of large
size, rapidity of growth, productivity, and hardiness, the region
from which the variety came bespeaking greater hardihood to cold than
that possessed by the average variety. The trees rejoice in vigor and
health as do those of almost no other variety, and while hardly as
productive as those of Seckel, yet because of greater size the pears
fill the basket nearly as quickly. Vermont Beauty is one of the best of
the pears of its season, and deserves a place in the orchards of the
country for home and market.
Vermont Beauty is supposed to have originated in the nursery of
Benjamin Macomber, Grand Isle, Vermont, more than forty years ago.
Macomber maintained a small nursery, and this pear was one of several
hundreds planted for stock. The tree was budded in the usual manner,
but the bud failed to grow, and the original tree was allowed to stand
without another budding. After the variety fruited, it attracted so
much attention that Macomber propagated it. Later, it was introduced
by W. P. Rupert and Son, Seneca, New York. The American Pomological
Society, recognizing its worth, added the variety to its fruit-catalog
in 1899. There has long been doubt in the minds of the writers as to
whether Vermont Beauty is distinct from Forelle. Careful comparison has
been made of the fruit- and tree-characters of the two sorts, and it is
found that they are so closely allied as to be indistinguishable. It is
possible that a tree of the old German pear may have found its way into
Macomber's nursery and received the new name.
Tree medium in size, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy,
productive; trunk stocky, shaggy; branches zigzag, reddish-brown,
thinly overspread with gray scarf-skin, with numerous large lenticels;
branchlets very thick, long, reddish-brown mingled with green, thickly
covered with ash-gray scarf-skin near the tips, smooth, glabrous
except near the ends of the new growth, sprinkled with numerous small,
roundish, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, plump, free. Leaves 2-3/4 in. long,
1-3/8 in. wide, leathery; apex abruptly-or taper-pointed; margin
glandless, finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous, slender,
pinkish-green. Flower-buds small, short, conical, plump, free,
singly on short spurs; flowers characteristically small, average 1
in. across, in dense clusters, about 6 buds in a cluster, the petals
unusually small; pedicels 7/8 in. long, slender, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late October and November; medium in size, 2-1/2 in.
long, 2 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 3/4 in.
long, curved; cavity extremely small or lacking, the flesh folded up
around the base of the stem, occasionally lipped; calyx small, open;
lobes separated at the base, short, narrow, acute; basin shallow,
narrow, obtuse, smooth, symmetrical; skin thick, tough, smooth or with
slight russet markings; color clear pale lemon-yellow, with a broad
and brilliantly blushed cheek, fading at the sides into pinkish-red
dots; dots numerous, very small, light russet, conspicuous; flesh
tinged with yellow, granular at the center but fine-grained near the
skin, tender and melting, very juicy, with a rich, vinous flavor;
quality very good. Core closed, axile, with meeting core-lines;
calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, plump, acute.
[Illustration: VICAR OF WINKFIELD]
VICAR OF WINKFIELD
=1.= _Card. Chron._ 20, fig. 1843. =2.= _Mag. Hort._ =9=:129, 269.
1843. =3.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 448, fig. 208. 1845. =4.= _Am. Pom.
Soc. Rpt._ 53. 1852. =5.= Elliott _Fr. Book_ 344, fig. 1854. =6.=
_Jour. Hort._ N. S. =7=:414. 1864. =7.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 875,
fig. 1869. =8.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 660. 1884.
_Vicar._ =9.= Mawe-Abercrombie _Univ. Gard. Bot._ 1778. =10.= _Am.
Pom. Soc. Cat._ 40. 1883. =11.= _Ont._ Dept. Agr. _Fr. Ont._ 183.
1914. Clion. =12.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 159. 1841.
_Le Curé._ =13.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:47, Pl. 1851.
_Curé._ =14.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 18, Pl. 18. 1863. =15.= Leroy
_Dict. Pom._ =1=:610, fig. 1867. =16.= _Guide Prat._ 61, 261. 1876.
=17.= _Soc. Nat. Hort. France Pom._ 396, fig. 1904. =18.= _Cat. Cong.
Pom. France_ 221, fig. 1906.
_Pastorenbirne._ =19.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 262. 1889. =20.= Gaucher
_Pom. Prak. Obst._ No. 59, Pl. 49. 1894.
Though large and handsome, the pears of this variety vary so much in
quality, often being wretchedly poor, that trees of it are now seldom
planted in America. The variety is not liked, also, because the trees
blight badly. The fruits, besides being large and handsome, keep well,
and are excellent for all culinary purposes. They are in season from
November to January. The pears have a strong musky smell, and are
more or less astringent. The quality depends largely on the soil, and
is best when the trees stand in a deep, warm loam. The fruits are
long-pyriform, usually one-sided, and are further characterized by
the peculiarity that the calyx is not in line with the axis, as in
other pears, but is on one side, generally opposite to that in which
the stalk is inserted as shown in the accompanying illustration. The
trees, barring susceptibility to blight, are about all that could be
desired--large, vigorous, handsome, and thrive both as standards and
dwarfs. Many old trees of largest size of this variety are still to be
found in New York, but young stock is now seldom set.
In 1760, this pear was found as a wilding by a French curate at
Villiers-en-Brenne. In due course it was introduced into England by
the Rev. W. L. Rahm, Vicar of Winkfield, in Berkshire, and from this
circumstance it lost its proper name, _Curé or Le Curé_, and wrongly
acquired that by which it is now known here and in England. The variety
was introduced to America early in the nineteenth century. It was
placed on the list of recommended fruits by the American Pomological
Society in 1852.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy, very
productive, long-lived; trunk and branches stocky; branches zigzag,
greenish-brown overspread with grayish scarf-skin, with lenticels
variable in number and size; branchlets curved, thick, long and
willowy, with long internodes, light greenish-brown which is mingled
with red on the newer growth, smooth, glabrous except near the ends of
the new growth, sprinkled with conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, free. Leaves 3 in. long, 2-1/4 in.
wide, thick, leathery; apex abruptly pointed; margin tipped with
minute scattering glands, finely serrate; petiole variable in length,
pinkish-green; stipules short, tinged with pink. Flower-buds small,
short, conical, plump, free, singly on very short spurs.
Fruit ripe December to January; large, 4-1/4 in. long, 3 in. wide,
oblong-pyriform, with a long, tapering neck, with unequal sides; stem
1-1/8 in. long, slender, curved; cavity lacking, with stem obliquely
set without a depression and often with a fleshy fold around the
base in the form of a lip; calyx large, open; lobes long, unusually
broad, obtusely pointed; basin very shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth,
symmetrical; skin thick, tough, smooth, dull; color pale yellow,
often with a faint trace of a brownish-red blush over the exposed
cheek, marked with light russet around the calyx, and occasionally
with russet flecks scattered over the surface; dots numerous, small,
conspicuous, brownish-russet; flesh white, granular only near the
center, tender and melting, juicy, somewhat astringent or with a
sprightly muskiness, with no pleasant aroma; quality inferior for
dessert but good for cooking. Core small, closed, axile, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube long, narrow, funnel-shaped; carpels long-oval;
seeds large, long, not very plump, often abortive.
[Illustration: WHITE DOYENNÉ]
WHITE DOYENNÉ
=1.= _Pom. Mag._ =2=:60, Pl. 1829. =2.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._
385. 1831. =3.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =1=:43. 1831. =4.= Downing _Fr.
Trees Am._ 378, fig. 162. 1845. =5.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51.
1848. =6.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =2=:85, Pl. 1851. =7.= _Horticulturist_ N.
S. =4=:158, Pl. 1854. =8.= _Ibid._ N. S. =6=:406. 1856. =9.= Downing
_Fr. Trees Am._ 880, fig. 1869. =10.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 663. 1884.
_Warwicke._ =11.= Parkinson _Par. Ter._ 592. 1629.
_Doyenné._ =12.= Langley _Pomona_ 132. 1729. =13.= Duhamel _Trait.
Arb. Fr._ =2=:205, Pl. XLIII. 1768. =14.= Miller _Gard. Dict._ =2=:
Pt. 1. 1807. =15.= Brookshaw _Pom. Brit._ =2=: Pl. 49. 1817. =16.=
Brookshaw _Hort. Reposit._ =2=:175, Pl. 92. 1823. =17.= Leroy _Dict.
Pom._ =2=:52, fig. 1869. =18.= _Rev. Hort._ 51. 1898.
_Virgalieu._ =19.= Prince Cat. 1771.
_White Beurré._ =20.= Mawe-Abercrombie _Univ. Gard. Bot._ 1778.
_Weisse Herbst Butterbirne._ =21.= Christ _Handb._ 511. 1817. =22.=
Liegel _Syst. Anleit._ 100. 1825. =23.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_
=2=:84. 1856. =24.= Lauche _Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 16, Pl. 16. 1882.
=25.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 296. 1889.
_Saint-Michael._ =26.= Coxe _Cult. Fr. Trees_ 191, fig. 38. 1817.
_Doyenné Blanc._ =27.= _Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =5=:135. 1824. =28.=
Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 121. 1841. =29.= _Pom. France_ =1=: No. 74, Pl.
74. 1863. =30.= Mas _Le Verger_ =3=: Pt. 2, 19, fig. 106. 1866-73.
=31.= _Guide Prat._ 63, 264. 1876. =32.= _Cat. Cong. Pom. France_ 236,
fig. 1906.
_Thorp._ =33.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 553. 1857. =34.= _Mag. Hort._
=24=:516. 1858.
_Bonne-Ente._ =35.= Noisette _Man. Comp. Jard._ =2=:532. 1860.
This ancient and world-renowned pear, its fruits the most delectable of
any that come from a pear orchard, is now rarely planted in America.
It is being discarded because the small and comparatively unattractive
fruits fail to satisfy commercial demands. In the middle of the last
century, when there was almost a mania for the best of the European
pears, when fruits were judged by the palate rather than the eye as
now, White Doyenné was one of the most commonly planted varieties.
Proof of its popularity at home and abroad is found in the great
number of names under which it has been grown. A more serious fault
than small and unattractive pears is that the fruits and foliage
are inviting prey to the scab-fungus, which often cracks and scabs
the pears and defoliates the trees. Except in susceptibility to
scab, the trees are nearly perfect when grown in the soil which they
prefer--a rich clay, heavy rather than light. On such a soil, tree
and fruit attain perfection. The accompanying illustration shows this
pear at its best in color and size--a handsome fruit rather than
the unattractive product so often seen. Grown in a light soil, and
when scab is unchecked, the fruits are small, green, cracked, and
cankered--intolerable to sight and taste. Unfortunately, also, the
trees are ravaged by blight when that disease is epidemic. The faults
named have made the variety an outcast, but it should still receive
attention for the superb quality of its fruits where scab and blight
can be controlled.
This pear is one of the oldest of all varieties. It is impossible to
state whether it originated in France or was brought to that country
from Italy. A German, Henri Manger, who studied the origin of fruits,
states in his _Systematische Pomologie_, 1780, that the White Doyenné
originated with the Romans; he considered it to be their _Sementinum_.
Agostino Gallo, 1559, called the variety _Pera Ghiacciuola_. In 1660,
Claude Saint-Etienne described a _Poire de Neige_. Both of these
descriptions represent White Doyenné. In the sixteenth century and
for part of the seventeenth, the name _Ghiacciuola_ was accepted for
the variety in France with the synonym _Saint-Michel_. Leroy states
that Le Lectier, in his catalog of the fruit trees which he grew at
Orléans in 1628, changed the name to _Giaccole de Rome_, and Nicholas
de Bonnefonds modified it in the first edition of his _Jardinier
Francais_, 1652, to _Giacciola di Roma_. English pomologists have
mentioned this pear under a variety of names since early in the
seventeenth century. The names _Poire Doyenné_ and _White Doyenné_
have been most generally applied to it. The date of its introduction
to America is not known, but it was probably brought to this country
by the earliest French settlers. The first American catalogs mentioned
the variety, and it was extensively grown in the vicinity of New York
and Long Island where it was commonly called the _Virgalieu_ pear. In
the neighborhood of Boston, the name _Saint-Michael_ was applied to it;
while around Philadelphia it was called the _Butter Pear_. For nearly
a century, however, the variety has been most generally known in this
country as White Doyenné. At the Convention of Fruit-Growers held in
New York, in 1848, White Doyenné was included in a short list of pears
recommended for general cultivation. Since that date, the American
Pomological Society has given the variety a place in its fruit-catalog.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, vasiform, hardy, very productive; trunk
stocky, somewhat smooth; branches thick, dark gray, with many large
lenticels; branchlets thick, reddish-brown, smooth, glabrous, with
small, very slightly raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds obtuse, pointed, appressed. Leaves 2-1/2 in. long, 1-3/4 in.
wide, flattened, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate;
petiole 1-1/2 in. long, slender. Flower-buds large, long, conical or
pointed, free; flowers early, 1-1/8 in. across, in dense clusters, 7
or 8 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in. long, slender, pubescent,
light green.
Fruit matures in early October; medium in size, 2-1/4 in. long,
2-1/8 in. wide, uniform, obovate-obtuse-pyriform, symmetrical;
stem 3/4 in. long, thick, slightly curved; cavity obtuse, shallow,
narrow, russeted, usually symmetrical; calyx small, open or closed;
lobes short, narrow, obtuse; basin shallow, obtuse, nearly smooth,
symmetrical; skin thick, tough, smooth, dull; color clear pale yellow,
with a small, bright red blush on the exposed cheek; dots numerous,
small, russet, conspicuous; flesh yellowish-white, granular, firm
at first but becoming melting when fully ripe, juicy, sweet, with a
rich, aromatic flavor; quality very good. Core closed, with clasping
core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide, conical; seeds wide, plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: WILDER EARLY]
WILDER EARLY
=1.= _Can. Hort._ =12=:286, fig. 73. 1889. =2.= _Ibid._ =13=:251, Pl.
1890. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1899. =4.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort.
Man._ =2=:268. 1903.
_Early Wilder._ =5.= _Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 45. 1896.
_Wilder._ =6.= Ont. Dept. Agr. _Fr. Ont._ 183, fig. 1914.
This is one of the good, early pears for the markets. It is more highly
prized in the Mississippi Valley than in New York and the Eastern
states where summer pears are raised in greater variety. The pears
are very attractive in size, shape, and particularly in the bright
lemon-yellow color, with a flaming cheek to the sun, the whole pear
being characteristically marked with small, russet dots set in a
pinkish circle. Of all summer pears the fruits of this one seem least
inclined to rot at the center, and usually keep longer and ship better,
although the skin is tender and bruises easily. The flesh is buttery,
moderately juicy, sweet and rich, with a faint, pleasant perfume. The
fruits are small but are usually larger than those of the well-known
Seckel, and are edible almost to the very center. The tree is large,
vigorous, prodigiously productive, as healthy as any, and a remarkably
handsome ornamental. Despite this catalog of virtues, Wilder Early is
not largely planted in New York.
Wilder Early is a chance seedling found by Charles A. Green, Rochester,
New York, about 1884, in Chautauqua County, New York. At the time of
its discovery the tree was already in bearing. The variety was named
after Marshall P. Wilder, President of the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society. The name first appeared in the fruit-catalog of the American
Pomological Society in 1899.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, dense-topped, rapid-growing, hardy,
very productive; branches zigzag, reddish-brown overspread with gray
scarf-skin, with numerous lenticels; branchlets thick, very long,
light greenish-brown, lightly streaked with ash-gray scarf-skin, dull,
smooth, glabrous except near the tips of the new growth, sprinkled
with many conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds small, short, pointed, appressed; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-7/8 in. wide, leathery; apex taper-pointed;
margin very finely serrate; petiole 2 in. long, glabrous. Flower-buds
small, short, conical, plump, free, singly on short spurs; flowers
late, 1-3/16 in. across, white or tinged with pink, in dense clusters,
average 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1/2 in. long, pubescent.
Fruit ripe in late August; large, 2-3/4 in. long, 2-3/8 in. wide,
oblong-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 3/4 in. long, very thick; cavity
acute, narrow, russeted and with rays of russet extending over the
sides, slightly compressed, rarely lipped; calyx large, open; lobes
separated at the base, long, narrow, acuminate; basin very shallow,
narrow, obtuse, wrinkled; skin thin, tender, smooth, dull; color
pale lemon-yellow, with a pinkish blush on the exposed cheek often
deepening to dark pink; dots characteristically distinct, very
numerous, small, russet or russet-red; flesh white, stringy, tender
and melting, buttery, moderately juicy, sweet, faintly aromatic;
quality good. Core small, closed, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube
long, narrow, conical; seeds long, narrow, acute.
[Illustration: WINTER BARTLETT]
WINTER BARTLETT
=1.= _Ore. Bd. Hort. Rpt._ 42. 1895. =2.= _Ore. Nur. Cat._ 19. 1903.
=3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 41. 1909. =4.= Cal. Com. Hort. _Pear Grow.
Cal._ =7=: No. 5, 278, fig. 94. 1918.
Winter Bartlett is heralded from the Pacific Coast as a winter variety
bearing fruits similar to those of Bartlett. As the fruits grow in New
York there is a suggestion of Bartlett in the shape, color, and flavor
of the fruits, but in size, as the color-plate shows, the newcomer
falls far short of the older pear. The season is December and January,
a time when there are a half-dozen other good pears, and since this one
has no outstanding characters to make it notable, it is doubtful if
it will outlive a brief period of probation in eastern orchards. The
westerners say that the tree is very resistant to blight, a statement
neither proved nor disproved in the East as yet. The variety is worth
trying in a small way in New York.
This pear seems to have originated at Eugene, Oregon, some time prior
to 1880, and to have been introduced by D. W. Coolidge of Eugene,
although it must have been grown to some extent before Mr. Coolidge
brought it to the front. Because of its resemblance to Bartlett, it is
assumed that it is a seedling of that variety. The American Pomological
Society added Winter Bartlett to its catalog of fruits in 1909.
Tree large, vigorous, upright, scraggly, open-topped, hardy,
productive; branches stocky, smooth, light-brown overlaid with gray
scarf-skin, with few lenticels; branchlets thick, curved, long, with
long internodes, brownish-red, streaked with gray scarf-skin, glossy,
smooth, glabrous, sprinkled with conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds large, long, conical, pointed, plump, free; leaf-scars with
very prominent shoulders. Leaves 3-1/4 in. long, 1-3/8 in. wide,
stiff; apex taper-pointed; margin finely serrate; petiole 2-1/4 in.
long. Flower-buds conical, plump, free, singly on spurs variable
in length; flowers very late, 1-1/2 in. across, in dense clusters,
average 5 buds in a cluster; pedicels 1 in. long, thick, thinly
pubescent.
Fruit ripe in December and January; large, 3 in. long, 2-3/8 in.
wide, oblong-obovate-pyriform; stem 1 in. long, thick, curved; cavity
narrow, shallow, smooth, oblique; calyx small, nearly closed; lobes
short; basin small, shallow, irregular; skin uneven in surface;
color yellow, splashed with russet and often blushed on the exposed
cheek with bright red; dots numerous, small, brownish-russet;
flesh yellowish-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy, sweet,
pleasant-flavored; quality good to very good. Core small, nearly
closed, with meeting core-lines; calyx-tube short, wide; seeds large,
long, plump, obtuse.
[Illustration: WINTER NELIS]
WINTER NELIS
=1.= _Pom. Mag._ =3=:126, Pl. 1830. =2.= Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._
409. 1831. =3.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 199. 1832. =4.= _Mag. Hort._
=10=:127. 1844. =5.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 450, fig. 208. 1845. =6.=
_Gard. Chron._ 20, fig. 1845. =7.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51. 1848.
=8.= Hovey _Fr. Am._ =1=:15, Pl. 1851. =9.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._
884, fig. 1869. =10.= Oberdieck _Obst-Sort._ 339. 1881. =11.= Lauche
_Deut. Pom._ =II=: No. 49, Pl. 49. 1882. =12.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 667.
1884. =13.= Mathieu _Nom. Pom._ 301. 1889. =14.= _Deut. Obstsorten_
=5=: Pt. 15, Pl. 1909.
_La Bonne Malinoise._ =15.= _Trans. Lond. Hort. Soc._ =4=:276. 1822.
=16.= _Ibid._ =5=:408. 1824.
_Thouin._ =17.= Dochnahl _Führ. Obstkunde_ =2=:23. 1856.
_Bonne de Malines._ =18.= _Ann. Pom. Belge_ =6=:77, Pl. 1858. =19.=
_Pom. France_ =2=: No. 53, Pl. 53. 1864. =20.= Leroy _Dict. Pom._
=1=:484, figs. 1867. =21.= _Guide Prat._ 60, 252. 1876. =22.= _Cat.
Cong. Pom. France_ 202. 1906.
_Nélis d'Hiver._ =23.= Mas _Le Verger_ =1=:29 bis, fig. 21. 1866-73.
Winter Nelis is the standard winter pear in the United States.
Both fruits and trees possess several serious faults, but these
are outmatched by virtues which make the variety preëminent in its
season. The fruits are small and are often so poorly colored as to be
unattractive, but well grown they are sufficiently large for dessert
fruits and are very handsome in a much-russeted coat and a ruddy
cheek. Flesh and flavor are the chief assets of the fruits. The flesh
is tender, melting, juicy, luscious, with a rich, sweet, aromatic
flavor--one of the most delectable of all pears. The fruits keep, ship,
and sell well. The season is from Christmas to March, but the pears can
be kept until late spring in cold-storage. The trees begin badly, for
no variety is more difficult to grow well in the nursery. They thrive
only on standard stocks, refusing to do well on the quince unless
double worked. In the orchard, the trees are among the unmanageables.
They are small or of but medium size, with straggling, wayward tops
with habits of growth so self assertive that no art nor skill of the
pruner can bring the branches under control. The limbs are always
crooked; some bend inward toward the main stem, some are upright, some
droop, and no two behave in quite the same way. Notwithstanding the
illy-shaped tops, the trees are often enormously productive so that
the crop usually requires thinning. They bear almost annually; come in
bearing young; are fairly hardy; and are adapted to almost any soil or
situation provided, only, that the soil is fertile or well fertilized.
They are as nearly immune to blight as those of any other European
pear. The trees are characterized by two marked peculiarities: the
old wood is thickly set with small, short spurs; and they are about
the latest of all their kind in leafing out in the spring. There is
no better winter pear for either the commercial pear-grower or the
amateur, and the variety grows especially well in New York.
Winter Nelis was raised from seed by Jean Charles Nélis, Mechlin,
Belgium, early in the nineteenth century. It was introduced into
England by the London Horticultural Society under the name _La Bonne
Malinoise_. Subsequently this name was cancelled and that of Winter
Nelis adopted, the name which had been given the variety by Van Mons
in honor of the originator. In 1823, Thomas Andrew Knight, President
of the London Horticultural Society, sent cions of the variety to
John Lowell, Roxbury, Massachusetts, who, in his turn, shared them
with Robert Manning, Salem, Massachusetts, whence the sort was very
generally disseminated in this country and attained great popularity.
At the National Convention of Fruit-Growers held in New York in 1848,
Winter Nelis was included in a short list of pears recommended for
general cultivation. For more than half a century the name has appeared
in the fruit-catalogs of the American Pomological Society.
Tree medium in size and vigor, spreading, hardy, very productive;
trunk stocky; branches thick, zigzag, reddish-brown mingled with
gray scarf-skin, marked with small lenticels; branchlets with short
internodes, reddish-brown, dull, smooth, glabrous, with numerous
raised, conspicuous lenticels.
Leaf-buds medium to large, long, conical or pointed, free. Leaves
3 in. long, 1-1/8 in. wide, elongated-oval, leathery; apex
taper-pointed; margin varies from crenate to serrate; petiole 1-1/2
in. long, slender. Flower-buds conical or pointed, free; flowers open
late, 1-3/4 in. across, 6 or 7 buds in a cluster; pedicels 7/8 in.
long, rather slender, lightly pubescent, greenish.
Fruit ripe late November to early January; medium in size, 2-1/4
in. long, about 2-1/4 in. wide, uniform in size and shape,
roundish-obovate to obtuse-obovate-pyriform, quite symmetrical except
for the unequal sides; stem 1-3/8 in. long, thick, curved; cavity
obtuse, shallow, narrow, russeted, gently furrowed, occasionally
lipped; calyx large, open; lobes separated at the base, short, broad,
acute; basin shallow, obtuse, lightly furrowed, symmetrical; skin
thick, tender, roughened with much russet, dull; color yellow with
a tinge of green, dotted with grayish-russet and with many russet
streaks and patches on the exposed cheek which is usually blushed
with bright red; dots numerous, small, russet, conspicuous; flesh
yellowish-white, quite granular at the center and underneath the skin,
tender and melting, buttery, very juicy, sweet, aromatic; quality very
good. Core large, closed, axile, with clasping core-lines; calyx-tube
short, wide, conical; seeds large, wide, long, plump, acute.
[Illustration: WORDEN SECKEL]
WORDEN SECKEL
=1.= _Rural N. Y._ =50=:888, figs. 326 and 327. 1891. =2.= Thomas _Am.
Fruit Cult._ 465, fig. 675. 1897. =3.= _Franklin Davis Nur. Cat._ 23.
1901. =4.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:268. 1903. =5.= Banker
_Cat._ 19. 1915.
_Worden._ =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 41. 1909.
Possibly no pear has been more widely advertised during the last
quarter-century than Worden Seckel. Nurserymen and pear-growers alike
describe it as a better variety than Seckel, and say that it ought to
take the place of that good old sort of which it is a seedling. But
it is not driving Seckel out in most pear regions, though in many it
is considered the more profitable pear of the two. It is a splendid
pear, but falls short of Seckel in not being quite as dependable in
different soils and climates; the trees are not as vigorous, though
just as productive in many places, they are not quite as resistant to
blight, and the fruits are not as high in quality. On the other hand,
the pears are larger and handsomer. Well grown, the fruits of Worden
Seckel are voluptuously handsome in form and color. The pears are
smooth, glossy, trim of contour, well turned, unusually uniform, with
a beautifully blushed cheek on a handsome green and yellow background.
The accompanying illustration does not do the pear justice in size or
color and shows a lack of symmetry not usually present. When the crop
is thinned so that the fruits attain their largest size, no pear is
handsomer or will bring a higher price on the fruit-stands. The crop
comes in with Seckel, but keeps longer, lasting until December in
cold-storage. The tree is very hardy and bears young, but does poorly
in the nursery. Commercial growers should give this variety a thorough
test, and amateurs everywhere will find it worth planting.
Worden Seckel, as its name suggests, is a seedling of Seckel, raised by
Sylvester Worden, Minetto, Oswego County, New York, about 1881. Smiths
and Powell, Syracuse, New York, placed it on the market about 1890.
The American Pomological Society added the variety to its fruit-list in
1909.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, rapid-growing, very
productive; trunk thick; branches reddish-brown, nearly covered with
thin, gray scarf-skin, marked with numerous lenticels; branchlets
short, with internodes variable in length, light greenish-brown,
dull, glabrous except near the ends of the new growth, sprinkled with
numerous small, conspicuous, raised lenticels.
Leaf-buds very small, short, pointed, appressed. Leaves 2-1/2 in.
long, 1-1/2 in. wide, thick, leathery; apex taper-pointed; margin
tipped with few minute glands, finely or coarsely serrate; petiole
1-1/2 in. long, glabrous, slender, tinged with red; stipules very
small when present. Flower-buds small, short, conical, sharply
pointed, plump, free, singly on very short spurs; flowers showy, 1-1/2
in. across, in dense clusters, 8 or 10 buds in a cluster; pedicels
1-1/4 in. long, slightly pubescent.
Fruit ripe late September to October; medium in size, 2-1/2 in. long,
2-1/8 in. wide, obovate-acute-pyriform, symmetrical; stem 3/4 in.
long, thick; cavity very shallow and obtuse or lacking, the flesh
folded up around the base of the stem and often lipped; calyx open,
large; lobes narrow, acute; basin shallow, narrow, obtuse, smooth
or gently furrowed, symmetrical; skin thin, tender, smooth, glossy;
color pale golden-yellow, blushed on the exposed cheek with solid
bright red, becoming almost crimson in highly colored specimens;
dots numerous, small, russet, obscure; flesh yellowish-white or dull
white, fine-grained near the skin, granular at the center, tender and
melting, buttery, very juicy, characteristically spicy and aromatic;
quality very good. Core closed, axile, with meeting core-lines;
calyx-tube conical; carpels ovate; seeds wide, plump, obtuse.